Angie Hudson may not be a name you know… yet, but if you’re a fan of the songwriting delights of Lianne La Havas or Julia Jacklin, then you will absolutely want to acquaint yourself with this Byron Bay talent. Fresh out of the oven, her debut EP, titled OPENS, is a cool drink of jazzy, country-infused soul for those more stressful days. It begins with ‘Bird’ and Hudson’s unshielded lyricism. “Here I am, with my heart in my hand,” she sweetly states in that Norah Jones-esque voice. There’s a real front-porch fell running throughout ‘Bird’, perhaps it’s something to do with the innocence of the acoustic guitar or Americana electric melodies of the steady verses. Where this track really comes to life is when the horns flow upwardly with Hudson’s soulful pondering “what will I be?” It’s a hopeful song for an unknown future and yet sits comfortably within the present moment. By the way, we highly recommend listening to the rest of the Australian newcomer’s OPENS EP. - HT